SIMILARITY BETWEEN FUNGI IDENTIFIED AS DIPLODIA-PINEA F SP. CUPRESSI IN ISRAEL AND BOTRYOSPHAERIA-STEVENSII OR DIPLODIA-MUTILA ON JUNIPERUSIN THE UNITED-STATES

A fungus identified as Botryosphaeria stevensii (anamorph Diplodia mut ila) causes a canker disease that results in dieback of Juniperus spec ies in the United States. A fungus identified as Diplodia pinea f. sp. cupressi causes a similar disease of Cupressus species in Israel and elsewhere. Cultural characteristics, pycnidia, and conidia of isolates of these two pathogens were compared. The ability of each fungus to p roduce cankers on Cupressus sempervirens was tested. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker patterns also were analysed, using Sphae ropsis sapinea (syn. Diplodia pinea) isolates as an outgroup. Results indicate the fungus identified as D. pinea f. sp. cupressi from cypres s in Israel is the same as, or at least highly similar to, the fungus identified as B. stevensii (or D. mutila) from juniper in the United S tates. Analysis of RAPD markers indicates relatively low similarity be tween these isolates and those of S. sapinea. Because these results ar e consistent with a previously published report describing substantial morphological and isozyme differences between isolates identified as D. pinea f. sp. cupressi and those of S. sapinea, use of the name D. p inea f. sp. cupressi should be abandoned. Inconsistencies between thes e isolates from juniper and cypress and published descriptions of B. s tevensii and D. mutila, however, indicate the need for additional inve stigation Into the relationship of these fungi.